Staff at Myakka were in for a real surprise when their latest shipment arrived from India! Inside the container was a sparkly new Rikshaw tri-cycle with red trim which was hand picked by directors Georgie Hopkins and Simon Whitehead during their recent trip to visit Indian suppliers.
Being a specialist in beautiful hand crafted and fair trade furniture, Georgie and Simon have an eye for unusual and interesting items. The Rikshaw was first seen by Simon who has always been keen to bring one home.
“We wanted to bring a piece of Indian culture back to the UK,” explains Simon Whitehead, Director of Myakka. “This is really is all in the name of fun! Once I saw this particular Rikshaw we decided that now was the time to bring it back.”
In India, the Rickshaw is widely used to carry passengers from place to place. The roads are often crammed with cyclists, tri-cyclists, cow-drawn and horse drawn vehicles and the famous TukTuk as well as the more standard modes of transport: cars, vans, buses and lorries.
Yet the Rikshaw that will be on display outside Myakka’s HQ in Wincanton, Somerset, will serve a slightly different purpose. As well as being used at promotional events, Simon has said that he will use the Rikshaw to take the children to school!
“I plan on taking my two small children to nursery on the Rikshaw a few mornings a week,” says Simon who is a keen cyclist. “This will no doubt be quite hard work on the hills but should be OK while the children are still small and quite light to pull!”
So far the Rikshaw has been the highlight of entertainment being ridden at lunch times by the Myakka team. Watch this space to see if Simon offers any members of staff a lift to work!
